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Seneca Police Chief John Covington released a statement Friday afternoon saying: “I would reiterate that our hearts and prayers go out to the Hammond family during this extremely difficult time. As attorneys are now involved for both the Hammonds and our department, we have released all of the information that we are able to at this time on the incident.

“As some sort of litigation may be pending, we will not be addressing the ongoing and unsupported statements being made to various media outlets. We have stated the facts as we know them and do not have any intent of doing otherwise. We await the results of the SLED investigation and subsequent review by the Solicitor.

“We will not be releasing the officer’s name that was involved in the shooting and consider him a victim of attempted murder as we have previously stated several times. Pursuant to Article 1, Section 24, the Victim's Bill of Rights of the SC State Constitution, we feel that releasing his name may possibly subject the officer and family to harassment, intimidation or abuse.

“In due time, all of the facts and circumstances will come out within the proper venue.”

The results of toxicology tests in Hammond's death are not yet available, Addis said.

Addis said the State Law Enforcement Division is investigating the shooting.

Hammond was shot at about 8:20 p.m. Sunday at the Hardee's on Bypass 123 in Seneca.

Addis said the initial investigation showed Hammond was attempting to evade a police stop in the parking lot of Hardee's. A Seneca police officer said he felt threatened by Hammond, who was driving his car toward him, Addis said.

On Wednesday, Hammond family attorneys Eric Bland and Ronnie Richter met with the coroner. Both attorneys said that meeting brought up new concerns about the shooting.

"Our concern is that we have an independent investigative agency look into this shooting that is very, very troubling. This is a 19 year old kid without a weapon in his car clearly in the Hardee's parking lot on a date, and within five minutes he has two shots that appear to be in his back and his side, from an officer shooting him from the back and he's dead and this family needs answers," said Bland.

"We don't know all the facts, but we know that Zach Hammond did nothing to deserve to die in a Hardee's parking lot that night, and from the evidence that we reviewed it's clear that the shot that killed Zach Hammond came from behind not from in front," said Richter. "The evidence seems to suggest that the officer was parallel to the driver's side window at the time the shots were fired, so if the suggestion is the vehicle was traveling toward the officer, I don't know that the photographs bear that out. That's for a judge and jury and another day."

Seneca Police Chief John Covington told WYFF News 4 that Hammond's car came at the officer at an angle, which is why he said the officer shot through the driver's window.

The coroner said he is unable to release anymore information at this time because of the ongoing investigation.

Covington said a passenger in the car, Tori Dianna Morton, 23, was charged with simple possession of marijuana.